IMOCA 60, notizie dal mondo sessanta piedi
Barcelona World RaceIMOCA 60Level ClassOceanoRoute du RhumVela 2 Settembre 2010 Zerogradinord 0
IMOCA 60 – Saint Malo – In vista dell’appuntamento con un’intenso inverno di regate – Route du Rhum e Barcelona World Race – la classe IMOCA 60 ha fatto il punto della situazione, dichiarandosi soddisfatta per la fervente attività che la circonda.
I nuovi progetti
Diversi sono gli scafi che attendono di debuttare in occasione della Route di Rhum, in programma a partire dal 31 ottobre. Barche nuove navigano sotto il comando di Vincent Riou (PRB) e Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac – Paprec 3) mentre Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) e Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) attendono a giorni la consegna delle loro. Un pò più datate, ma si parla di mesi, Safran e Groupe Bel, primi esempi della nuova generazione IMOCA 60.
Ancora in acqua
Roland Jourdain, campione uscente della Route du Rhum, ha cambiato barca, puntando su un usato garantito. Veolia Environnement è infatti il nuovo nome dell’ex scafo di Sebastien Josse. Nella sezione di chi già naviga da un pò che il proprio IMOCA 60 possiamo inserire i già citati Safran e Groupe Bel, armati da Marc Guillemot e Kito de Pavant. Cambio anche per Arnaud Boissiers, nuovo proprietario della barca di Vincent Riou, mentre Lo Sciacallo, Armel Le Cléac’h è pronto a dar battaglia con il solito Brit Air.
Guardando alla Barcelona World Race, invece, sicuri sono i nomi di Dominique Wavre, Dee Caffari e Alex Thomson, in questi giorni a Napoli con il suo Hugo Boss. Molto attesa la flota spagnola, composta da Alex Pella (Estrella Damm), Pachi Rivero (W Hotels Nova Bocana), Iker Martinez, in coppia con il “socio” di sempre Xabi Fernandez su Movistar, l’IMOCA 60 portato al successo nella Vendée Globe da Michel Desjoyeaux.
IMOCA 60, NEWS FROM THE 60’S WORLD
[IMOCA 60 Press Release] The Imoca skippers are due to meet up again in St Malo on 31st October for the Route du Rhum-la Banque Postale and in Barcelona on 31st December for the Barcelona World Race. 9 boats are set to compete in the Rhum and at least ten for the Barcelona. At the present time, some skippers are finishing off their projects in order to make it to the start line, whi le others are adding the final touches to their brand new prototypes.
The new projects
Four major projects are under way at the moment. The most advanced of these belongs to Vincent Riou (PRB), whose new boat has been on the water since the spring, and Jean-Pierre Dick (Virbac – Paprec 3), who recently moored up in Lorient at the end of a long delivery trip from New Zealand via the Panama canal. Meanwhile, Michel Desjoyeaux (Foncia) is completing a race against the clock so as to make the start of the Route du Rhum, before gearing up for the Barcelona World Race. The three sailors have all opted for a Verdier – VPLP design, acknowledging the respective performances of Safran and Groupe Bel. Bernard Stamm (Cheminées Poujoulat) is continuing with the construction of his Kouyoumdjian designed boat at the Decision yard in Switzerland.
Continuing to sail
Roland Jourdain (Veolia Environnement) has traded in his Lombard design, which was begi nning to get a bit dated, for the Farr designed boat previously skippered by Sébastien Josse during the last Vendée Globe. Bilou’s aim is to defend his title during the next Route du Rhum. Roland will once again be competing against Kito de Pavant (Groupe Bel), who is continuing to optimise his monohull, as well as Marc Guillemot (Safran), who is keen to repeat his performance from the last Transat Jacques Vabre. For this year’s Route du Rhum, Arnaud Boissières (Akena Vérandas) is now in possession of a boat which once belonged to Vincent Riou, while Armel Le Cléac’h (Brit Air), winner of the Solitaire du Figaro, will be racing on his Finot designed boat again.
Looking ahead to Barcelona, Dominique Wavre and his new partner Mirabaud will be at the start of the next Barcelona World Race; while Dee Caffari will be teaming up with Anna Corbella (GAES Centros Auditivos). Alex Thomson (Hugo Boss) will also be at the start of the race, aboard a boat previously skippered by Brian Thompson (Pindar). Alex is gambling on the boat’s power and his new boat is certainly a looker. The Spanish are also intending to be out in force on the IMOCA circuit as several crews are actively preparing for the Barcelona World Race. Alex Pella is teaming up with Pepe Ribes (Estrella Damm) on Loïck Peyron’s former Farr design; Pachi Rivero is partnering Tonio Piris (W Hotels Nova Bocana) on Jean-Pierre Dick’s former boat, while Iker Martinez and Xabi Fernandez (Movistar) are benefiting from the advice of Michel Desjoyeaux after purchasing the winning boat from the last Vendée Globe. A few other projects will also be taking part in the next Barcelona World Race and they are discreetly being finalised.
Strategic choices for the future
By opting to register the next three editions of the Barcelona World Race in its schedule, Imoca had gambled on its internationalisation and the complementary nature of sin gle and double-handed races.
They’ve pulled it off! The 2010 Imoca season will comprise over 20 entries in its World Championship.
Naturally, the 2008 Vendée Globe was an exceptional event, with 30 competitors at the start. 18 competitors lined up for the 2004 edition, so we should be able to count on the 2012 edition being just as exceptional.
Between these two round the world races, the Europa Race will go around Europe, starting in Istanbul on July 2nd 2011.
No comments so far.
Be first to leave comment below.